Please help… our 5 month old puppy hates being in his kennel when we are out of sight. We are at our wits’ end

[enoch27]

@curiouschristian82 Oh, also we refer to the kennels as beds. It's their safe/personal place. They love it now!

 

[germatria1128]

@curiouschristian82 What happens if you cover up his crate?

 

[curiouschristian82]

@germatria1128 The whining actually happens quicker when we cover his crate with a blanket.

 

[lennonali]

@curiouschristian82 What happens if you put him in the crate whilst you’re in the same room as him? Try this 10,15,30 mins so he sees it’s normal for him to be in there when you’re in and out. Also, could you leave a bed on kitchen floor and let him have the kitchen To roam whilst you’re out? Leave a shuffle mat down when you’re leaving and he might not even notice you’re gone.

 

[ilovefriedchicken]

@curiouschristian82 My mini husky (spirit) hates crates and my Austrian shepherd ( Neko) loved it. When we got Neko she was 5 wks old an u can tell she was abused from the people we got her from as she would hide in corners and under things. And the only way we got her to sleep at night I actually had to put her in a big plastic tote with the top off not sure why but we worked with it . Then when we got the crate we would leave the door open and when she was tired of us or needed a break she would walk in an shut the door herself an go to sleep . So I guess it just takes some time for ur pup to realize that ur not leaving her for good u will be back . Maybe talk with vet ur pup may have separation anxiety an there could be something u can give to help

 

[curiouschristian82]

@ilovefriedchicken Thank you for the advice! All great info and insights.

 

[cbatchman0405]

@curiouschristian82 I had the exact same issue.

Short term fix: Kong toy or anything to keep him preoccupied for a while. Put treats on a towel and wrap it up tightly (his fav). Freezing mashed bananas or baby food on a lick pad works too.

Long term fix: BABY STEPS with duration and distance. Leave him in the crate for short durations at a time. 5 min cycles then 20 min, etc. While he’s in the crate, walk around the house in and out of his sight over and over again.

 

[curiouschristian82]

@cbatchman0405 It sounds like a great approach, thank you for the advice!

 

[freedomusa]

@curiouschristian82 try adaptil spray or diffuser, zylkene supplements, a thunder shirt. adaptil is a pheromone spray that is mimicking a mother’s pheromones to her puppies. zylkene is a behavioral supplement for anxiety. thunder shirt is basiclaly like a swaddle for your pup. these are all what the vet i work with most commonly recommends as OTC treatments

 

[godsgirl345]

@curiouschristian82 2nd crate living/tv room, leave the tv on - specific channel selection might help - Nature Channel, Animal Planet if that's soothing for him to watch but if seeing other animals etc. is just gonna over excite him - then stick to something not so animal oriented ION, LifeTime, USA etc. Routine the leave as well, with like a kong toy filled with PB or something put in and a cookie call it calm bye bye. Lock him in last, and leave. Routine your return as well. Pick his leash right up, hook him as soon as you open the crate door, get him out your front door then actually greet him so he doesn't get so excited he pee's until after you are outside.

Covering the crate may or may not help. (not the door itself just the sides). some it helps calm, and some it drives more insane. Doggy cam in the living room would help you figure that out.

 

[kezia]

@curiouschristian82 Also a ticking clock and a old towel that smells like you. Warm the towel and wrap the ticking clock inside it. Place in bed inside crate.

This comforts a dog dealing with separation anxiety. The clock ticking sounds like a heart beat (build-a-bear sells a heart with a heart beat for inside their bears) the smell of you is familiar and comforting, the warmth helps them feel safe and cozy.

 

[joep222w]

@curiouschristian82 It took us a long time with our dane. She had bad separation anxiety. We put her in there in a separate room so she could get used to being alone. No food, no water. Just a blanket or two and chew toys. She was always let out an hour before bed and just before bed. She was fed twice a day, so pooping in her crate was not an issue, just had to make sure she peed. A good rule of thumb is a dog should be able to hold it for about one hour per month. So, 5 months old might be able to make it for 4 or 5 hours if you have to leave the house as long as they went potty prior to crating. Our labrador was awesome with her crate. Never whined, though she had accidents up to a little over a year, but I am also including being gone at night with fireworks going off in the neighborhood. If you do not include getting scared and nerves, maybe 8 months or so.

 

[katescreates]

@curiouschristian82 Faced something similar. Found out an animal phychooogist who helped us understand the behaviour changes needed. You can find one in your area but if unable to, you can connect digitally with the one i consulted with.
K9 Companions - Priti Chauhan
Contact no.: +91 98505 04620

 

[curiouschristian82]

@katescreates Thanks for the advice!

 

[hldawson3]

@curiouschristian82 his crate sounds like it’s too big, and also possibly too stimulating. you can put up a barrier to make it smaller, while he’s getting used to being crated it should be just big enough for him to turn around and lie down. he shouldn’t be able to pace or play or anything else. it can be empty.

if he’s only going to be in there for a little bit at a time except at night, take out all toys, blankies, etc. maybe give him a teething toy to fuss at, or some frozen carrots. crate train him the way you would a pup with separation anxiety:

put him in the crate, cover it, stay in the room right next to the crate and make noise so he knows you’re there. once he settles give it a minute or two and then let him out (no praise/reaction, just open the door and ignore)

build up the length of time between him settling and you opening the door

start leaving the room for 1, 3, 5, 10 minutes at a stretch (this process can take weeks, esp since he’s just a baby)

he’ll get there eventually. if he hated being crated he’d always react this way but since he’s okay at night you just need to work at crate training him

also feel free to join us on the puppy sub r/puppy101 for helpful info or just to vent. congrats on your new baby!!!

 

[o2bjenni]

@curiouschristian82 Shit, I have a 8wk old and 5month. I make sure they eat, play, potty 30mins before I place them. As long as their ass is in the cage… Idc.

 

[sneebuck]

@curiouschristian82 Err. You didn’t adopt him, you purchased him from the breeder

 

[chrisrdba]

@curiouschristian82 I've found that covering the crate so the pup can't see helps. Randomly placing the pup in their crate throughout the day helps them get familiarized with it. Never use the crate as a punishment, it should be the pups safe space. I don't recommend giving them toys while unsupervised though since it poses a risk of choking and/or obstruction via ingestion. If you decide to feed them I would recommend waiting to feed them in their crate until they are fully potty trained or else they'll go where they lay. (I'm a dog trainer so I've had lots of new owners ask this question. Raising young ones of any species takes time and patience.)

 

[mdamon0501]

@curiouschristian82 With this dog it seems like they get overstimulated, trying to de-stim should be the goal. Never engage while whining or being frantic. Let them relax and then reward. Start trying to associate that things only get done if the dog is totally calm. We’re not going to be cruel here, we just don’t want to encourage acting out.

Practicing crate time while they’re home is important.

Doing a building progression of time in the crate during the day with you in the room. Always make sure they settle before reward.

If they can be calm in the crate while you’re in the room. Work on progressively leaving the room.

While the dog is calm. Step out of the room for 1 min (or less. Go grab a cup of water from kitchen.) Come back in but DONT engage with the dog. You want to normalize coming and going. Act busy in the room or sit/lay down. Try not to look at the dog. If you get a glance at them and they’re staring at you and whining or freaking out, turn your head and look away in an exaggerated fashion. This is dogspeak for I don’t like what you’re doing. Wait for them to settle again (breathing is usual tell, a big sigh is a great sign.) then reward them calmly. Treats, pets. If they seem calm you can try again, if they have short attention span, let them out and try again later. Eventually they will get it. They will associate that being calm is what gets you to engage with them. That’s how they please you.

Progress the amount of time you leave the room. If you do this 2-3 times a day at least, they will pick it up super quick.

Some dogs do better with a strict routine. Some do better if you don’t make a big event out of leaving or returning. This is just one method to normalize them.

And by training them to calm down instead of letting stimulus triggers (like leaving the room) send them on a mental spiral, you are training them to think. Training them to learn basically. Instead of reacting through impulses (jump, whine, move around, freak out, etc.) they use their brain.

 

[illumined1995]

@curiouschristian82 There’s a lot of great advice here, and I’m sorry if this is a repeat, but it’s very helpful to train in the expectation to be calm if they want to come out of the kennel. It takes time and patience, but it’s well worth it.

You’re going to have to be very patient, unfortunately. This is essentially waiting him out before opening the door. You’re going to train him to see the exit as a barrier only you can let him through. This works for other entryways with doors too. You just sit by the kennel with him inside and wait for him to be calm and quiet before you open the door (maybe bring a book). When he tries to leave, close the door. When he shows any excitement, close the door. He needs to realize that YOU let him out and only when he’s calm. Then reward like crazy when he listens. A release word like “okay” or “break” works great in addition to this.

It’ll take time, but he’ll catch on quickly. It’s cut down on whining and kennel shenanigans significantly for me. It also means that when he wants to get out, he’ll be silent as the grave. My spaniel just stares, waiting, when I come home. The maintenance guy said he didn’t know I had a dog until he walked out, bc my dog was so quiet hoping to come out. (For security reasons, this is when someone uses a key to come inside. He barks a lot when people knock or do something loud outside my door).

Good luck!